If you want to utilize a handicap parking space in Michigan
, you need to have a handicap placard or plate that displays the International Symbol of Access (ISA). Driving is enough of a challenge for someone with a disability without having to contend with a parking lot. Each state tries to ease the difficulty of driving for disabled people by offering a parking placard or license plate that enables the holder to park in a handicap accessible spot. However, just because every state offers this service doesn’t mean the rules are the same across the country. You’ll need to know what the rules are in your home state.
Michigan has a large population of disabled citizens, hovering around 26.7%. If you’re one of those citizens, you might be eligible for certain parking privileges. Here's a guide to help you navigate the handicap requirements and regulations in Michigan.
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How to get a disabled parking placard or plate in Michigan
There are a few options for navigating parking while handicapped in Michigan. You may obtain:
A red temporary disabled parking placard
A blue permanent disabled parking placard
A green placard if you are a service that transports the disabled
A yellow decal if you qualify for free parking in public spaces
The icon on each of these passes is the International Symbol of Access (ISA). Not sure what that is? You’ve probably seen it before—the blue-and-white stick figure in a wheelchair. Note that you don’t have to actually be in a wheelchair to qualify for a parking placard or decal.
Check below to see if you meet the criteria for a placard or decal in the Great Lake State.
Who’s eligible for a disabled parking placard?
Each state has criteria you’ll need to meet to qualify for a disabled parking placard or plate, and Michigan is no exception. The criteria in Michigan are:
Any condition that limits your ability to walk
Any condition that requires a wheelchair, walker, crutch, or other assistive device
If you go roller skating with your friends and break your ankle, you will probably have to get around on crutches. This would enable you to get a temporary disabled parking placard that will be eligible for one to six months. Your doctor will be able to tell the state how long you are expected to need crutches or another walking-assistive device.
What’s considered a permanent disability in Michigan is less nuanced than in other states. Michigan does not allow for people with limited vision (except blindness) or lung issues to apply for a parking placard or plate. As such, the people you see with handicap parking accessibility in Michigan all have some form of trouble walking.
Michigan also allows for organizations who transport the disabled to apply for a special parking placard—this one is green. This enables the vehicle being driven by a member of the organization to park in a handicap accessible spot.
If you decide to apply for a plate, you could also receive a placard in case you are traveling in a vehicle other than your own. Each applicant is issued one placard, whether they also have a plate or not.
Who’s eligible for a free parking decal?
You qualify for a free parking decal if you are unable to do one or more of the following:
Insert coins or tokens in a parking meter or accept a ticket from a parking lot machine due to lack of fine motor control in both hands
Reach above your head to a height of 42 inches above the ground due to lack of finger, hand, or upper extremity strength or mobility
Approach a parking meter due to the use of a wheelchair or other ambulatory device
Walk more than 20 feet due to a cardiovascular, orthopedic, or lung condition in which the degree of severity is that it almost completely impedes your ability to walk
The free parking decal only applies to parking that is monitored by the state government, like metered spaces on the street. Private garages are not obligated to provide free parking.
How to apply
You’ll have to follow these steps to get a permanent, temporary, or organizational placard (or plate, if your disability is permanent):
Get an eligible medical professional to fill out and sign Part 2 of the application
If necessary, have the medical professional fill out and sign Part 3 of the application if the applicant also qualifies for free parking
Mail your application to:
Michigan Department of State
Internal Services Section
There is no fee for a parking placard, but you will have to pay $10 if it is lost or stolen. License plates are subject to the same standard fees you would pay for an ordinary license plate.
Renewing a disabled parking placard
Michigan makes it easy to renew a permanent disabled parking placard. You can renew online
, over the phone by calling (888) 767-6424, or mail in your renewal to: Michigan Department of State
Whatever way you choose to renew, you will need to include the following information:
You cannot renew a temporary disability placard. If you need access to handicap parking after the expiration of your placard, you will have to submit a new application.
Permanent and organization placards are valid for four years, expiring on the holder’s birthday.
Key Takeaway To get a disabled parking permit in Michigan, you’ll need to work with your licensed medical professional on completing and submitting a form.
Guidelines for veterans with disabilities
Michigan is proud to recognize all the men and women who have dedicated service to their country. Michigan residents with a total or permanent total disability rating who have received an honorable discharge from the military qualify for Disabled Veteran plates.
To apply for standard DV plates, you’ll need to meet the previously mentioned criteria for a disabled parking plate, submit the appropriate forms, and additionally submit the Application for Veteran License Plate
. The fee is $5 and you must apply at your local Secretary of State office. Key Takeaway You must have a qualifying disability and an honorable discharge from the military to receive a DV plate.
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